Kyo stopped to rest on the huge iron gate, as the sky fully opened up. He closed his eyes, trying to regain some his strength.
"Damn rain..." he muttered as he glanced up at the sign engraved above him. It deemed the land before him was Saint Jude's Cemetery. Miaka had told him that it was the anniversary of her mother's death, why she was still in the graveyard at night. He didn't really want to know. Yet he had tried her house and no one was there.
He walked through the entrance terrified of what was to come. If Hatori was there… if he had touched her… the cat shook his head, he couldn't start to think that way. But already his pace started to quicken.
"Miaka?" he asked out into the darkness with something barely more than a whisper. Kyo's feet were numb from the air and the mud already slicked in them. He jumped at a crash of lightning. Then through the driving rain, he heard a scream.
"Where would he be?" Kagome asked as she chewed on her sleeve. She was leaning in from the back seat shooting glances between Shigure and Hatori. The dog sighed.
"I have no idea. I mean according to Tohru, we've checked all the possible places. I'm out of his favorite hiding areas. Does anyone else have any suggestions?" Yuki watched the driving rain out the window, he disliked the fool of a cat, but he didn't deserve this. He glanced over at Tohru, and knew.
"He'll go to Miaka." He said, "He would run to the one that he has to protect, the one he cares about." Tohru blushed as she met his eyes, but Shigure just sighed.
"Yeah but we've checked their normal places. Where wou-"the dog almost jumped as Hatori grabbed his arm. A frightened look fell on his face.
"It's her birthday," he said, "We have to go to her mother..."
Kyo fell to the ground with mud splattering across his face. He had no strength, if only it wasn't raining. He could hear the muffled sobs from Miaka in front of him. Kyo had never felt more of a coward.
"Stay out of it boy." A gruff voice laced with rum called out. The cat got up and looked at the horror ahead. He had run as hard as he cold to the source of the scream, to find Miaka on the ground with her father standing over her. His first attempt to save her landed him in a mud without any air.
The drunken man now had his daughter up in the air by her throat. He spit into her face, Kyo couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"You little demon came here to revel over the murder you did all those years ago didn't ya? You took my love from me, you destroyed my world." He growled and tightened his grip on her throat. "For Eighteen years I waited for her to return and punish you proper for what you did. She never came back, so now I have to deliver it myself."
Kyo ran into the man again, trying to knock him over, he had no strength to fight. The man hit him harder than before, sending him flying into the mud. The cat pounded his fist to the ground, and stared at his hand covered in mud. He was going to lose her, but he could save her. Sohma Kyo got up for a final time, as black and white beads fell to the ground.
"Look!" Tohru cried out as the headlights fell onto the graveyard. A tear ran down Kagura's face as she glanced upon the creature outline in the light. The thing hulked over the body of a man with three large gash marks in his back. The man was not going to get up again.
"Oh my little Kyo…what have you done?" she whispered. The creature turned to the headlights then back to the girl staring up at him.
I can see it in her eyes, Kyo thought, she hates me. He cried out, howling into the night. I'm sorry I'm such a coward. He turned to run but something caught his legs.
"P….please…" a hoarse whisper came from behind him, "p…plea…se d, don't leave me alone…" The cat turned back and stared in shock at the girl wrapped around his legs. Tears cleaned a path in the blood and mud on her face. He wrapped his arms around her.
"I won't Miaka," he whispered, back in his human form, "I promise…"
"Shigure?" Kyo asked as he sat against on the floor near the writer. The dog looked up from his work at the boy. He was holding his knees staring at his black and white beads.
"Yes, Kyo?" The cat looked up at him.
"Last night….why didn't she run….why wasn't she terrified of the monster I was?" Shigure smiled.
"Kyo, you saved her from the only monster there last night. She had no reason to be afraid of you, no matter what you looked like." Kyo looked back down at his bracelets, something was still bothering him.
"You know she's going to live with Hatori know right?" Shigure asked with a smile, but the cat just sneered.
"Great. She goes from an abusive father to the home of that freak Akito. What are you guys dumb asses? "When he saw Shigure's expression he got up, "Why the hell are you laughing about this!"
"Kyo, I don't think she has to worry about Akito. Hatori made sure he agreed with us one hundred percent." Kyo sat back down.
"Fine, as long I don't have to eat any of Miaka's leeks. That brat spoils fish…" The dog smiled to himself, it seemed that everything did work out in the end….